Choosing the Right Cloud Path: Exploring Traditional and Owned Cloud Solutions

Updated on August 7, 2023
By Alex Lesser

Alex Lesser

Experienced and dedicated integrated hardware solutions evangelist for effective HPC platform deployments for the last 30+ years.

Posted 8/12/23

Choosing the Right Cloud Path: Exploring Traditional and Owned Cloud Solutions

We are now in our second decade of Cloud Computing. The promise of unlimited computing power combined with the outsourcing the care and feeding of the systems is very appealing. These benefits, however, do not come without significant costs and risks. Losing control of the budget, security standards, performance benchmarks and even intellectual property have given companies a reason to pause and consider why they went to the cloud in the first place.

High-performance computing instances and cloud storage are the foundation and critical core ingredient for companies that need computational muscle and big-data protection. Making this infrastructure the best it can be is essential to your company’s success.

At the end of the day, any enterprise positioned for growth and success is dependent upon the efficiency and speed of its cloud computing power and the ability to store critical data securely.

Let’s look at two ways companies host their cloud computing power and data storage/access: Traditional Cloud and Owned Cloud. And let’s compare both to see how much control they have.

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Traditional Cloud

Traditional Cloud is the choice by companies that see value in moving away from on-premises hosting (where all equipment is company owned and maintained by their own IT department). This method relies on an outside service provider to do everything to ensure the vital data needs of your company.

They procure, install and maintain all cloud hardware, software, and other supporting infrastructure in their data centers. Companies pay for these cloud services, and access and manage their cloud instances through the provider’s applications. But companies have little control of cloud performance, security and cost.

Performance

While it is every traditional cloud host’s intention to provide ultimate performance, their cloud infrastructures need to provide for multiple clients, all vying for precious cloud processing power, cloud bandwidth, and cloud storage. Cloud bandwidth in particular can be the source of problematic bottlenecks and diminished cloud performance.

Security

Security is a major concern on two fronts: cloud hardware infrastructure and the cloud data itself. Because of the mass of data hosted by a traditional cloud provider, cloud infrastructure and the cloud data that resides on it must be protected at all costs.

Traditional Cloud providers, in general, make sure their physical cloud servers are environmentally protected and secure from outside intruders. The cloud data itself, on the other hand, may not be as safe. Your precious cloud data sits on someone else’s cloud hardware. Providers struggle daily with cloud security breaches to protect critical cloud data from outside intrusion.

Cost

Once companies lock into Traditional Cloud, they are at the mercy of incremental cost increases. As cloud infrastructure complexities grow, costs to support them can be astronomical. The initial investment to save money starts to become less and less obvious.

Owned Cloud

Some companies are bucking the traditional cloud companies by moving to a new type of cloud environment called “Owned Cloud”. This method enables companies to regain better control of cloud performance, cloud security, and cloud costs.

This owned cloud solution involves purchasing cloud IT infrastructure then fortifying it with a third-party cloud provider that offers manufacturing, integration, testing, application installation, basic logistics and fine-tuning cloud systems requirements. Instead of this cloud system being packaged up and shipped, the cloud infrastructure resides and is maintained by the third party.

Owned Cloud offers all the benefits of the traditional cloud providers combined with the cloud performance, cloud security and cloud cost controls organizations need to ensure business continuity.

Performance

Customers have better control over their cloud infrastructure when it’s dedicated to just their needs. They don’t need to compete with other hosted clients for precious cloud processing power, cloud bandwidth, and cloud storage.

Security

Security can be better maintained on a cloud system that is not shared amongst multiple organizations / individuals that need only a credit card number to gain access. Customized cloud security and stronger encryption are allowable only if the cloud infrastructure is dedicated to you rather than part of a behemoth cloud environment where hackers and malicious actors’ prey on day to day.

Cost

The idea of having a fixed monthly expense rather than an ever-increasing credit card bill is the cloud cost control companies need to ensure success. Although the initial spend on cloud hardware infrastructure may cost more upfront, companies have better visibility to what the consistent cloud spend will be. After that, third-party cloud services that host and maintain a company’s cloud infrastructure can oftentimes cost much less than traditional cloud hosting. The initial investment becomes a better total-cost-of-ownership in the long run.

At NZO Cloud, we specialize in designing and delivering high-performance cloud computing and storage solutions tailored to meet the demanding computational needs and extensive data storage requirements of businesses. Our cloud instances and storage capabilities surpass the standard offerings, backed by our decades of expertise in providing cutting-edge cloud computing clusters (HPCs) and advanced storage solutions that consistently exceed expectations.

In addition to our renowned on-premises solutions, NZO Cloud is actively engaged in developing innovative infrastructure designs to facilitate owned cloud hosting for our clients. We collaborate closely with your internal teams to architect and construct custom data processing and storage solutions that precisely match your unique specifications. With our cloud services, you have the flexibility to procure our high-performance cloud instances, and we will manage them securely at your preferred offsite facility, which is environmentally controlled to ensure optimal performance.

As part of our commitment to empowering businesses, NZO Cloud is constructing a state-of-the-art data center dedicated to hosting customer cloud infrastructure. This comprehensive vertical integration encompasses everything from design and development to manufacturing, seamless integration, secure hosting, expert support, and efficient managed services – all under one roof. This distinctive approach provides businesses with the advantages of a traditional cloud environment while granting them renewed control over costs, performance, and security.

At NZO Cloud, we pride ourselves on being your trusted partner throughout the entire journey. Our team ensures your cloud infrastructure operates securely and efficiently for the long term, supporting your business operations and product lifecycle with unparalleled dedication.

Experience the power of NZO Cloud’s bespoke cloud computing and storage solutions for your enterprise. Contact us today, and let our cloud experts drive your company’s success in the dynamic world of cloud computing.

At NZO Cloud, we understand that each application has unique requirements. Contact us today at 4sales@nzocloud.com / tel: 949-380-7288 to discover how our cloud computing experts can collaborate with your third-party teams to customize our high-performance cloud instances and storage solutions with our advanced Cloud Manager Software Suite. We will also work with your chosen third-party provider to securely host and manage your cloud infrastructure, ensuring the success of your company’s future in the cloud computing era. Partner with NZO Cloud for a seamless and powerful cloud computing experience tailored to your exact needs.

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